Determine how much butter you will need by placing the lobster tails in a large enough pan, side by side; add just enough water to cover. Immediately remove the lobster tails, drain them, set aside; and measure the water in the pan. You will need this amount of butter to cover and poach the tails.

When you are about an hour from serving the lobster tails, take them out of the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature.

To make the Beurre Monte:

Definition of Beurre Monte: Butter is an emulsification of 80% milk fat, 18% water, and 2% milk solids. Heating butter above 160 degrees will cause it to "break" or separate into its different composition parts. A Beuree Monte is a techniques of keeping melted butter in an emulsified state between 180 degrees and 190 degrees, which is sufficient to poach meats or vegetables.

In a saucepan, bring the 1 tablespoon of water to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low and begin adding the chunks of butter (a little at a time) whisking to emulsify. Once the emulsion is started, more butter may be whisked in faster. Hold the temperature of the Beurre Monte between 160 and 190 degrees for poaching. DO NOT BOIL OR THE MIXTURE WILL BREAK! The mixture should have the consistency of a very thick butter sauce. NOTE: Beurre Monte can be set aside on the stove after being prepared. You should use the beurre monte within an hour after you make it.

When ready to poach the lobster tails, use a thermometer and bring the beurre monte up to at least 160° degrees, but not over 190° degrees. Depending on how large and how many lobster tails you are preparing, will determine how long to poach them; it usually takes from 5 to 7 minutes. They should not be rubbery but of a soft consistency (almost as if not completely cooked). The lobster should be white and not very opaque in color. When done, remove them from the Beaurre Monte and serve.

Oooo! Did you find someplace to buy the lobster tails out of the shell or did you do it yourself? And if you did it yourself, did you blanch them? I've really wanted to try this but I very rarely buy butter since I'm the only one who eats dairy in our house.

Maggie... My fishmonger removed the shell for me, but I know others who have done this recipe did in fact blanch the tails enough to remove the shell before finishing the tails off in the beurre monte.

And something I should probably have mentioned in the recipe... I needed over 4 lbs of butter to poach 3 tails (at once.) I did it in a porcelain lined cast iron casserole on the stove top, which meant it was deep but not too wide... perhaps if one poached in something wider and more shallow, you'd not need quite so much butter.

Rebecca... oh I feel you.... my fishmonger isn't local... at all. In fact to get to the guy I have to drive nearly an hour. The lil podunk town I live in doesn't have anything but a Wal*Mart! But for lobster it was worth the drive and the ice and the ice chest to bring it home.

This looks delicious! I've cooked lobster several times and found it extremely difficult. Apparently even professional chefs have problems with it. Check out the story of a pastry chef in Palm Beach, FL who got roped into cooking lobster the unconventional way: http://ow.ly/18htD

I tried this dish last night, and while it wasn't my first time making lobster tails, it was my first time doing it this way. So good! Better than I've even had it in restaurants - I will be making them this way from now on!

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